Vulcanizing mold for inner tubes and the like



May 2l, 1935. P. DE MATTIA 2,002,110

VULCANIZING MOLD FOR INNER TUBES AND THE LIKE Original Filed Aug. 29, 1923 ETEI? 0E MATT/A ATToRNEY Patented May 21, 1935 i UNITED;

votoisimo MGLD FOR 4INNER .Peter De Mattia, Paesaic, J., as signor 'to Natinai Rubber Machinery Company, Akron. Qiiioa'obriioRatioio of Ohio (Original application August 29,* 1928, Serial No. 30.2,?.1-1.. iividedand this abolieation` April 4.

-An important object of thein ention is to pro-` vide a 'Coupling .whereby fluid-tight. comunita- .tion 'wilt be automatically established between there-1re storie and the pressure -iiuidisueplr eine asthetobe or other infiatabie article to be ,uui-

anized is positioned in the mold and the -iieiilat--f I mgiiuid. supplied :toite This applioatioiris a `olfvision :of my eti-'petitie ing application,.-S eria1 No.V 302,711, :tiled August 2 9; 1928, and an improvement upon the inventionshown in my Patent No, 1,812 ,8 2-1, issuedJune One feature of the inventionfis `the provision of f .a @euri-ine adapted toY be moan-ted, adiaeent the .mo-ld :in position tor-eceive theend of iagvalvef stem uti-ish is pushed through an aeerturein. he moldwall as4 the tube is .elaeedinthe mold The' Coup-1111s Vis in thetorm ef .gun and is edsPtodto-be adjusted to. different .-positionsiier accommodation -off .valve stems of difieren-it ierieths" and shapes.Y

The foregoing aedfothe objects, features. and

advantages of the intention wiiibe .fully under-.g

stood 4from the following description in connection with thevaccx Jmpanyingdrawing.A .In the drawing;

through a vulcanizing press equipped vv-ith; a pressure vfluid vpipe connection made in ,accordance-.Withthe jinvention;y

Figure. 2 is' .a .similar View showing the totaling adjusted for connection with, a diffepenttforrn of valve sterngand Figure 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus of Figure 2. Y Y

The. invention has been illustrated as applied to a vulcanizing press wherein a pair of opposed mold sections I and Il are respectively secured to hinged platens l2 and I3, one of which is fixed and the other movable to open and close the press. The mold sections IU and II are of annular form and provided, in their meeting faces, with grooves which cooperate to define an annular mold cavity Within which an inner tube. I4 or other inflatable article is coniined during vulcanization. The inner tube I4 has a tubular inflation valve stem I5 adapted to extend through an aperture I6 in the inner wall of the fixed mold section IIJ, and -by admitting compressed air, steam or other presf mielis.st .iaigb-t. .Figure f1 is a fragmentary .sectional View can be inflated and pressed against the Walls of the mold cavity While being heated by the oircu.- lation of steam through chambers il and I 8 which surround the cavity. As the valve stem Ll is pushed through 4the aperture l5 in the operaand intersects the aperture I6, andthe inner end ofthe bar is formed with a curved 4surface not shown) `adapted to engage the lower side of the valve' stem, A shown) Which'is flush with the surface of the Inoldcavity when the bar is `its locking positinfii The outer Aend of the bar `2!! pivotally ilnected at '24 to aierer; which, is turn. is riveted at to a bracket 4.21 secured to the Vinner side of the mold SQCOD 1.9-, .The 19W? 2.5 Preferably @@9415 downwardly from the bracket 21 and may be provided, atits lower end, `with a ,forwardly .extending to anlookinepositoa ley-marital pressure .A.-te.r1.

sion spring (not shown) may be provided to no re mally maintain the bar 20 in .it s .l ocking position, and thusthe `valve stems willioe iirmly .held durine tbe vuloaniaiaeoeeratioasi It is to be noted that theta-1re stem literie.-

andthe coupling le is eapabie o to either .form .et valve .ster-o. .or an standardforraof valye The ooueline .I9 is ,mounted .anon .end .of .a

suitaloiegiittiee ,-4.2 .that visoaaeotertte ,as hose 43 .which fsaepiies Vthe..o@stressed or other imitating iiuitirem .howa- A.: clamping bolt i5 extends through@ coupling body and has its vertically extending T slot or guideway 48 of a slide 49, the outer end of the bolt being provided with a nut 5B by means of which the coupling Vor gun can be clamped with reference to the slide 4S. A radially extending guide 5I is secured to the xedmold section I0, and fits Within a. dovetail groove 52 in the rear side of the slide 49, whereby to adjustably support the same, and a set screw 53 (Figure 3) is adapted to lock the .faot :to any slide in its adjusted position. According to this hereas thatia f. gureisloeot.. eine .Comiso-ted,

xilole .heiteren .the head 41 disposed in a Cri .and another curved surface (not accommodate valve stems of any standard size or shape.

In the use of the apparatus described, the slide 49 and the gun I9 are first adjusted to set the gun in positionY to receive the end of the valve stem with which the inner tube to be vulcanized is equipped, whether a straight stem as in Figure 1 or a bent stern as in Figure 2. When the press is opened, the attendant inserts an inner tube I4 in the cavity of the fixed mold section I0, pushing the inflation valve stem I5 through the aperture i6 and clamping the same in position by the locking barZQ. In this operation, the end ofthe valve stem 151s guided into the coupling. The at-A tendant then closes the press whereby to entirely confine the tube E41 in the vulcanizing mold, and, either before or after closing the press,vby manipulation of a three-way valve (not shown), he causes compressed air or other pressure fluid to ow through the hose 43 into the coupling. Ordinarily, the fluid pressure will be turned on before the press is closed so as to allowV the inflation of the tube to take place during the closing of the press. After the tube has been subjected to vulcanizing heat and pressure for Athe requisite period, the fluid supply from the hose 43 is cut oiT and the pressure within the inner tube exhausted, the fluid within the tube I4 then owing in a reverse direction through the coupling and the hose 43 to the exhaust port of the valve. The press can then be opened for the purpose of removing the vulcanized tube Vandreplacing it with an unvulcanized tube. f From the foregoing it will be clear that with this invention the valve stems can be very easily and quickly connected to and disconnected from theair supply pipe, thus materially speeding up the vulcanizing operations. The construction contemplated is extremely simple, capable Vof being economically produced, and will be strong and durable in service. Obviously the invention is susceptible of modification in the details of con- `struct ion,and arrangement of parts, and the rightis herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with anA annular mold for vulcanizing inner tubes and the like, said mold having an apertured wall for the reception of an inflation valve stem, a pressure iiuid supply pipe, a coupling associated with theV supply pipe and adapted to receive theend of the valve stem to make a quick-detachable fluid-tight connection therewith as itis inserted'in the apertured mold wall, and means providing universal adjustability .of the coupling in a single planeto enable-said coupling to accommodate valve stems of dilerent sizes and shapes.

2. In combination with an annular mold for vulcanizing inner tubes and the like, said mold having an apertured wall for the reception of an inflation valve stem, a pressure uid supply pipe, a coupling associated with the supply pipe and adapted to receive the end of the valve stem to make a. quick-detachable uid-tight connection therewith as it is inserted in the apertured mold wall, a support for the coupling, said coupling being adjustable longitudinally of said support, and means for adjusting the coupling angularly of the support upon an axis that is transverse to the normal axis of the coupling.

3. In combination with an annular mold for vulcanizing inner tubes and the like, said mold having an apertured wall for the reception of an inflation valve stem, a pressure fluid supply pipe, a coupling associated with the supply pipe and adapted to receive the end of the valve stem to make a quick-detachable fluid-tight connection therewith as itis inserted in the apertured mold wall, and means for adjusting the coupling axially of the mold to accommodate valve stems ofY different shapes. A

4. In combination with an annular mold for vulcanizing inner tubes and the like, said mold4 having an apertured wall for the reception of an inflation valve stem, a pressure iiuid supply pipe,v a coupling associated with the supply pipe and adapted to receive the end of the valve stem to make a quick-detachable fluid-tight connection therewith as it is inserted in the apertured mold wall, and means for adjusting vthe coupling an' gularly with reference to the mold to accommodate valve stems of different shapes.

5. In combination with an annular mold for vulcanizing inner tubes and the like, said mold having an apertured wall for the reception of an ination valve stem, a pressure iiuid supply pipe, a coupling Aassociated with the supply pipe and adapted to receive the endof the valve stem to makea quick-detachable fluid-tight connection therewith as it is inserted in the apertured mold wall, and means for adjusting the coupling in a multiplicity of directions to accommodate valve stems of dierent sizes and shapes.

6. In combination with an annular mold for vulcanizing inner tubes and the like, said mold having an apertured wall for the reception Vof a straight valve stem or Va bent valve stem, as desired, a clamping member for holding the valve stem in place in said apertured wall and to complete the mold cavity, a pressure iiuid supply pipe coupling supported in a' fixed position with reference to the mold, and means for setting the pipe coupling vin different relative positions to adapt it to connect with either type of valve stem as required. Y

PETER DEVMATTIA. 

